"First of all, how does wizarding society view same sex partnerships?"
"Rarely done. It's expected that marriages produce children for the purpose of furthering family lines," explained Draco.
"Oh. But it's allowed?"
"Of course."
"Okay. When will it be?"
"Soon as possible. Before summer at least."
Hermione wrote this down.
"Ron, have you told your parents yet?"
"Yeah."
"What did they say?"
"Really surprised. Asked me if I was insane, practically. But if I want to get married to Draco, it's okay. I can make my own decisions, both of us are of age."
"Draco?"
"Father doesn't know yet, unless he goes through Mother's letters. Mother has given us her blessing."
"Okay. Mr. Weasley can get the marriage license from the Ministry. Dumbledore and maybe some teachers can be witnesses. The problem is that we need Dumbledore's permission for all this. I'm not sure students can marry."
"Not a problem," Harry said. "I went to Dumbledore this morning and he says he'll be delighted to be witness and that a Ministry official will be at Hogwarts."
Harry got looks of surprise and gratitude. Wow. Maybe he should plan ahead more often then. Nah.
"What about names?"
Ron looked at Draco.
"Surprise. I want to be a Weasley. What has this world come to?" Draco threw his hands in the air dramatically.
Ron grinned.
"But, it would be an obvious danger if I suddenly lose my name. Would it be all right if I take on the name as my middle name?"
"Yeah. It's okay. As long as we're together."
They were married on Friday. After classes, the two of them went to the Headmaster's office. Their Heads of House were also present. Ron was surprised that all it took was their signatures.
"Ron, that was just the legal preliminaries. We," Draco shuddered. "have to go through the wedding!"
"What?"
"Honestly, you didn't think the girls will let us have it so easy, do you? And what about your mother? My mother?"
"Oh."
Ron blinked.
"So, we have to go through with this? I think I like eloping better."
Draco rolled his eyes and kissed Ron.
"Thank Merlin Hermione had the sense to recruit your sister as bridesmaid."
"Who's the bride?"
"Neither of us. But we need their expertise. We just need to say no if they go overboard."
"How can they go overboard? It's just a wedding."
Draco sighed.
"Oh for Merlin's sake! Not white! The implications are erroneous in our situation."
"See? I told you so," Ginny turned a page of the catalogue from Gladrags.
Hermione sighed.
"I think it's a nice touch."
Draco rolled his eyes.
"I should say not. Look. I will not condone having Ron's robes clash with his hair. Other than that, feel free to do whatever."
He changed his mind.
"No pastels!"
"No lace!" Ron added.
Ginny giggled.
"Right. No lace. Bouquet?"
Ron's mouth screwed. Draco did an impressive grimace and sneer combination that would never be repeated because of the strain on his face.
"Ginny," Harry snickered. "That was awful."
"Is that a good idea?"
"She has leave to go to the Riviera, Florence, Milan, Paris etc. For shopping. She can lie to Lucius and come to the wedding."
"I don't know…"
"Ron, she can take care of herself. She'd have to, being his wife."
"But he's Lucius Malfoy!"
Draco sardonically crossed his arms.
"Why am I an only child? Ask yourself that."
Ron blinked.
"Remember that she is also part Veela. There are some boundaries that no male may cross with our kind, when we be sound of mind or body. Lucius may hold her prisoner by marriage, but in no other way."
Draco wrote down Narcissa's name on the guest list.
"Everybody underestimates her. Even Lucius."
He smirked.
"I will not be so blind."
"Is this all?"
"You want more?"
"I was just wondering if we were done with the guest list, that's all."
Draco leaned in, kissing Ron while picking up the list.
"No Slytherin save Mother and Snape. Rather unbalanced, don't you think?"
Ron shifted uncomfortably.
"You choose, then. I can't say anything good."
"Hmm. Really? There has to be at least one other who wasn't a total reprobate about our relationship."
Ron shrugged.
"Most of them have been really cold. Oh. Oh yeah… Zabini. He was okay. He gave the password for the day I proposed."
"Marvelous."
Draco flicked his quill artfully over the parchment.
"And even better, he's connected. It would do us well to curry his favor."
"Doesn't he like you?"
Draco laughed.
"Blaise Zabini was a business man from First Year. He likes people as much as lethifolds show mercy. We mutually maintained boundaries as a professional courtesy. I started rumors. He is an extortionist. I don't refute whatever information he has and he does not pry into my business. I ask him no favors and he asks me none. Worked very well."
Ron shook his head. He couldn't imagine avoiding Seamus, Dean or Neville just for 'professional courtesy'. But then, he didn't room with an extortionist.
"What about Crabbe and Goyle?"
Draco hesitated.
"No," he concluded. "They are a liability. I can't trust those two and I really don't want to bother."
Ron laughed.
"What?"
"You'd trust an extortionist over your two thugs."
"Humph. I haven't any need for them for a long time. And Blaise is very discreet. That's why he finds out what he does and that's why he's so successful at what he does. His grasp of the Hogwarts grapevine is stronger than a grindylowe's. Even more impressive is the fact that he hasn't landed himself in the Infirmary because of his practices."
Draco smiled self-deprecatingly.
"Any other Slytherin you want to invite?"
"I think it's best if I confer with Zabini first."
"Why's that?"
"If any other Slytherin passes muster for him, then it means that they're so deep in a scheme of his that they wouldn't risk getting him upset. Things happen to people who get Zabini upset."
Ron winced.
Hermione was indignant. But Dobby was adamant.
"Young Malfoy must have best on wedding day! Hogwarts elves will cook!"
"But you work for the rest of the school year-"
Dobby crossed his arms.
"Hogwarts elves will cook. Make good big cake and food for party! Dobby make nice day for Wheezy and Young Malfoy!"
"Harry, do something!"
Harry shrugged.
"Dobby, do they want to?"
"Yes! Cook elves want very much show off! Never gets to make big cake for wedding before!"
Dobby looked imploringly at Hermione.
"Is happy day. Want to be part of it. Give nice feast for wedding present. Wheezy nice, good friend of Harry Potter."
"Hermione, just give in. Besides, it means that neither Ron nor Draco will need to pay for the meal."
That was a point that the ever practical Hermione considered.
"Okay. The House Elves can cook. Because they want to."
It was quickly decided that the wedding be held in Hogwarts. Hogwarts afforded greater security and most of the guests would be present as students or professors before leaving for the summer holiday. Draco continued to monitor Hermione and Ginny's decisions, but for the most part depended on Harry and his Male Point of View to keep them in line. Of course, Harry was Best Man. He was, to put it simply, lost.
"Draco?"
"What?"
"I've never been to a wedding before, so-"
"Hermione will tell you what to do."
"Oh. But, the wedding present? I know Hermione would kill me if she knew I was asking now, but I would much rather have you tell me beforehand."
Draco considered.
"Learn how to dance, Harry. That's all I ask."
"Huh? Why?"
"You not being an embarrassment on the dance floor would be all the present I need. I can't say anything for Ron, though."
Harry rolled his eyes
Ron was having a hard time of it. Draco, when he wasn't trickling pheromones at him, was giving him come-and-get-it looks. Or was it get-it-and-come? Either way, Filch found their massage room and sealed it off; they weren't about to go risking the Astronomy Tower. Of course, Draco also remarked on how he wasn't about to commit a Hogwarts Cliché of that obviousness. Which was driving him crazy. Harry took pity on them and lent them his invisibility cloak. This lead to fellating and frotting more than anything else, because even though Ron was game, Draco wasn't going about to get caught cloak or not in flagrante delicto. He assured Ron that he would come up with something.
TBC